Things We Love: Brad Keefe edition

You can keep your pumpkin-y beers, thank you. To me, autumn is stout season, and Seventh Son's new imperial stout is one of the best I've ever had, local or not. Plus its name refers to a lightless dungeon. I like ’em dark.

Explorers Club food truck

One of my favorite restaurants has made a foray into the food truck scene, and wouldn't you know it, it's one of the best around. My first experience involved a burrito stuffed with mac and cheese, tater tots and ropa vieja. I mean, COME ON!

The return of Nine Inch Nails

Yes, I'm super NIN fanboy, but even I couldn't possibly expect that Trent Reznor's return would be so invigorating. The album Hesitation Marks is among the band's best, and the live shows I experienced at Lollapalooza and recently in Cleveland are among the tightest and best performances I've ever seen. Let's hope a future tour comes to Columbus.

"Short Term 12"

Honestly, nothing is going to top "Gravity" this year, but I need to give a little more love to this indie starring Brie Larson as a worker at a foster care facility. It's warm, heart-breaking and ultimately life-affirming. Its stay in local theaters was brief, but look for it near the top of my year-end list.

Bradtoberfest

I've begun an annual tradition of celebrating my birthday by getting a lineup of bands to play at Kobo. Apart from the obnoxiously self-promotional name, it's really just an excuse to gather as many bands and people I love in one place. What more could a guy want on his birthday?